Sustainable Office Buildings

In more recent times, the importance of the changing climate and its effects on the environment are being given more attention in regard to design practices. As a result, sustainable work spaces are becoming more prominent and some may even argue that a more energy efficient building correlates to a more efficient and productive work environment. With a growing demand for energy efficient buildings comes a greater responsibility of architects today and in the future. In turn, officer owners and managers are also placed under increasing obligations to be focused on cutting down on productivity costs and to find more sustainable ways of going about their business endeavors. Companies are coming to the realization that investing in ‘green’ principles is more profitable in the long run.

In this post we are going to present to you office buildings that offer sustainable techniques through innovative architecture.

Siemens Headquarters

Siemens’ new headquarters by Henning Larsen Architects will stand out as a spearhead project in sustainable design in an urban context. The objective of the project is to exceed today’s standards for green building. State-of-the-art technologies produced by Siemens are incorporated into the design to ensure an optimal lifelong performance. The design is energy efficient in itself. The organization of the office spaces, the slightly sloping facades providing the building with ample daylight and the selection of healthy, sustainable materials demonstrate that an open, healthy working environment is of high priority to Siemens (more info).

Recent production demands of the growing Dogfish Head Brewery company required much-needed office, laboratory, and retail space, which offered an opportunity for DIGSAU to reshape the image of the existing complex into one more attuned to the company’s progressive and “off-centered” culture. The project integrates straight-forward techniques to achieve efficiencies in use of material, water, and energy. The site design incorporates infiltration areas and pervious surfaces over what had previously been impervious pavement. Daylight modeling was utilized to locate windows and roof monitors, minimizing the need for artificial light. Most interior lighting is provided by high-efficient LED fixtures integrated into the steel joists. Local and salvaged materials were utilized for the cladding and furniture (more info).

The overall building mass and individual façade design by Ehrlich Architects acknowledge the site configuration, solar orientation and both the existing and anticipated adjacent structures and use a warm color palette including yellow and brown. The floor plates are enclosed by either a glazed curtain-wall assembly or a single-skin façade system with an external louver sunscreen device along the south, east and west elevations, where sun shading is necessary. This double-skin system acts as a veil, filtering exterior views and moderating direct sunlight. The modularized screen system is made of horizontal aluminum lovers in varying widths, suspended from the floor and roof deck edges on the exterior. Placing the louvers at varying widths maximizes views while also moderating direct sunlight. The north side of the building is primarily glass with open exterior balconies that take advantage of the indirect light and views down to the existing landscape feature (more info).

the new Dial/Henkel headquarters, designed by will bruder+PARTNERS is an innovative collaborative center, completely integrated into its broader context of the Sonoran desert. The facility has taken environmental responsibility seriously, believing in its corporate citizenship. The building makes extensive use of thermal and shading technologies, raised floor systems and indirect lighting in office areas, and sensitive use of daylight. In Arizona intense light can be a source of fatigue and heat gain. Here it is filtered and diffused to spread evenly and deeper into floorplates, always maintaining connection to the majestic sky and landscape of this place (more info).